Rejecting the Alpha

Kylie

My morning was basically the same as every other morning since I had gotten here, until Marie came and told me to get ready. Almost habitually, I did what I was told.

I was fetched from my room by a couple of pack guards I recognized but could not name. They both looked strong, but otherwise ordinary and my mind was spinning through what would be expected of me now that the full moon had arrived, I would join the pack that had murdered my old pack. Would I be replacing the dead with their murderers?

We left the house and joined a gathering outside.

My eyes were instantly drawn to the huddled mass of people who were tied near the front where Alpha Gavriel was located. The guards escorted me to his side and the pack looked at me expectantly.

He nodded towards me, but I could barely spare him a thought, my eyes searching out Andrea. She was amongst the bound individuals, and she looked terrified. I felt the mirror of her terror, wondering what my cold mate was planning for what was left of my people.

Soon, the crowd hushed and my mate began speaking, a standard alpha full moon speech that I had trouble paying attention to so focused was I on the prisoners. It was not until he began talking about me that my attention was drawn back to him.

"As a sign of good will to my newly found mate and luna, I will be allowing the non-combatant members of her former pack an option."

My attention snapped to him, but his attention seemed solely focused on the pack before him.

"Each prisoner standing before me today will be released. They can either choose to join Stonemason, or to go on their way."

At his words, the fighters guarding the captives released their bound hands.

"If you choose to stay, you'll be expected to conform to my rule and the laws of Stonemason as any other member is. If you choose to leave you are free to go, but if you're found on Stonemason territory tonight or any time after without permission, you will be killed. Decide now."

"Leave," I screamed at them internally, wishing that our pack link still worked, begging them not to stay out of some misguided attempt to support me. It was not worth staying here in this pack after what they had done to us. It's what I wanted to do, and with them gone, I had fewer reasons to stay.

"As for my pack, other than the on-duty guards, you're dismissed until tonight."

As the Stonemason pack members began to file away, Andrea met my eyes and I could see how conflicted she felt. I smiled, hoping that she understood I wanted her to go. A few of my former pack were already slinking away, trying to look unobtrusive as they went out to look for a new way to survive.

More followed, and finally Andrea turned, her expression apologetic and I wished I could reassure her that she was making the right choice. With the non-combatants gone, it was one thing less for me to worry about.

There probably had been combatants captured, and I wondered what my mate was going to do about them. "How many of my former pack are still locked up?" I asked Alpha Gavriel as he walked towards me.

"There're nine left. And their fate is non-negotiable."

I swallowed. He would not be easily swayed, but I could try. "Thank you for releasing the people you did," I said, trying to project gratitude through the mate bond. I wanted him to believe I was satisfied and understanding about his decision, so that I could try to gently prod him to release the rest later.

"If they come back, they'll share the same fate as those remaining."

"I don't think they'll be back." Who would willingly return to a place like this?

"If they're smart," he agreed, pulling me closer to him. No one was looking at us as far as I knew, although there were still pack members milling around. Pushing away the thought I did not resist, letting him pull me flush against him, my body warming at the contact even before he captured my mouth.

"Come with me," he said, and I followed him back to his bedroom without complaint, something I was getting very good at.

I was dressed and ready in the provided diaphanous dress when evening finally fell. My hair was long and loose because there was little point of doing anything else with it when it would only be mussed from my wolf-form transformation.

I wasn't thrilled about how revealing the gown was, but it covered all the most important bits, and it was not as if he had not already seen all of me anyways. Even if the human side of the alpha didn't care if anyone looked at me, I doubted his wolf would like it so it was unlikely anyone would gawk too long.

As I was led out of the house by my current guard, I thought about the alpha's wolf. I had not had a chance to see him yet, and I wondered what he would be like. I was nervous, since I could imagine him being either way kinder or crueler than the man I had dealt with thus far.

Marie had said the wolf should have affection for me, so I could only hope she would be right.

I arrived at a large clearing, again with most of the pack already there. My heart sped up and I wanted nothing more than to transform and flee, but I could not yet. First I had to somehow convince Alpha Gavriel to let the last nine from my pack go.

As I approached him, I tried to push down my unease and project acceptance towards him. I did not really want to join this pack of murderers, but I did want him to accept me and let down his guard.

I smiled at him as I approached, and it was not that hard, because the chemistry between us wanted to smooth the way for us to be lifelong mates.

With the moon hanging low in the sky and my heart in my throat, I arrived at the front of the pack, and the ceremony began.